Welcome to LaPAWS

By AMY ASMAN

The Lompoc Animal Shelter will from now on be known as La Purisima Animal Welfare Services, county officials announced at a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 24 at the newly renovated facility on Central Avenue.

The name is just one change to the shelter, which is owned and operated by the county of Santa Barbara and houses more than 1,300 dogs and cats each year. It’s the only stray-animal facility serving the mid-county region.

The renovation project cost was approximately $450,000, and was paid for by the county, the city of Lompoc, the Santa Barbara County Animal Care Foundation, the Companion Animal Placement Assistance (CAPA), and private donors. CAPA is a volunteer organization that provides opportunities for community members to assist at the Lompoc shelter.

The facility, which used to be a single-family home, now meets requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and has a new-and-improved reception space to fully accommodate the public.

Animal lovers from throughout the region are invited to visit the shelter to find their lost pets or to find a new pet. Staff members are on hand to help with a myriad of animal related matters, including responding to injured animals, impounding stray animals, and enforcing local health and safety ordinances. Volunteers also provide countless hours of unpaid service to care for, and promote the adoption of, animals.

For more information, call 737-7755.

Managing Editor Amy Asman compiled this week’s Community Corner. Information should be sent to the Sun via mail, email, or fax.